TAFF -Training, Guidance and Support of and for Families

Together with TAFF, the AWO am Niederrhein offers low-threshold services that support and accompany German parents and parents of a migration background with low skill levels when it comes to coping with the daily life of rearing children.

The illusion as set out in the German Basic Law that those with custody naturally and without any additional requirements can fulfill their roles as parents often falls short of reality. Many families experience hard times as a result of unemployment, poverty, divorce, debt, and isolation and without support they would not find their way out or would only do so with great difficulty. This fact impacts the positive development of children.

The job of the TAFF concept is to establish local networks, in which courses can be an effective link in the comprehensive chain of prevention. Prior to the start of a parent course, facilities the parents are familiar with such as childcare centers, family centers, schools, and city district stores, are asked for assistance in identifying participants. Since 2005, 60 TAFF courses have been offered in Essen with roughly 600 parents. There are plans to extend the successful TAFF courses beyond the Essen region with the support of the RWE Foundation.